ade a great hit out of a painful
accident. One day, while indulging in a bit of horse-play on the stage,
he hit his head violently, entirely an accident, against one of the
pillars of the scene on the stage. On hearing the thud everybody uttered
a cry. "No great harm done," said the comedian, "Just hand me a napkin,
a glass of water, and a salt-cellar." These were brought, and he sat
down, folded the napkin in the form of a bandage, dipped it in the
glass, and emptied the salt-cellar on the wet part. Having thus prepared
a compress according to prescription, and when every one expected he
would apply it to his forehead, he gravely rose and tied it round the
pillar. The effect of his action was such that every one set him down as
the readiest and wittiest man in his profession.

THE FIRST TELEPHONE.

The Sheffield _Telegraph_ gives the following interesting account of the
first telephone of which there is record:

The first telephone that was ever used was not electrical, nor was it a
scientific instrument in any sense of the term. A little more than fifty
years ago the employees of a large manufactory beguiled their leisure
hours by kite flying. Kites large and small went up daily, and the
strife was to see who could get the largest. The twine that held them
was the thread spun and twisted by the ladies of the village.

One day to the tail of the largest kite was attached a kitten, sewed in
a canvas bag, with a netting over the mouth to give it air. When the
kite was at its greatest height, some two hundred feet or more, the
mewing of the kitten could be distinctly heard by those holding the
string. To the clearness of the atmosphere was attributed the hearing of
the kitten's voice. This is the first account we remember of speaking
along a line.

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